Ellen Degenres Bombarded With Angry Tweets Over Pic She Posted For Its Racist Connotations

Fastest human on the planet Usain Bolt yet again proved himself to be untouchable at the 100-meter last weekend after winning the Olympic gold for the third time in a row. The Jamaican runner was so dominant in the event, in fact, that a photo of him posing for the camera mid-race during the semifinals was quick to go viral and be turned into a hilarious meme. But while most responses to the picture inspired at least a few giggles, Ellen Degeneres’s take has instead caused some major backlash.

On Monday, along with a Photoshopped image of Ellen riding on Usain’s back during his Olympic race, the daytime host tweeted out, “This is how I’m running errands from now on.” However, many were quick to point out the racist implications of her tweet, given that it featured a white woman riding on the back of a black man. People responded by telling her how offensive it was, and why, from a historical perspective, the image was so problematic.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that the host has been in hot water for potentially racist humor. In the past, Ellen has received a ton of criticism for her choice in Halloween costumes, which in recent years have been cartoonish takes on women of color with exaggerated, padded derrieres. When confronted about it by her fans, she has offered a similar response.